Nightlight (on hold)

Chapter Twenty Two

a/n: how are you guys? im okay (:

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Chapter 22

“What’s going on?” I demanded, my eyes never breaking eye contact from Niall’s blue orbs. He stared at me for a moment, and then he locked the guest room door. My question was ignored and he sat down carefully in the chair. My eyes followed him.

“Niall.” I hissed, trying to get his attention. He shrugged at me.

“I don’t know what you want me to say. You know I can’t tell you nothing.” I sent him the best glare I could muster, but it didn’t seem to do much.

“Is it dangerous for them? Could Zayn get hurt?” I pressed. He looked at me apologetically, but kept his lips sealed. I took a large step towards him, and crossed my arms over my chest, but it didn’t seem to intimidate him.

“Hannah…” He trailed off. The fact that he couldn’t answer my question, in turn answered my question. And I wasn’t happy.

I drifted my eyes over to Claire and Eleanor, who were having a quiet conversation where they were sitting.

“So we just wait?” Claire asked softly.

“Yes, until the boys come back. It’s better this way. It’s safer for them, too. They don’t have to worry about us and can one hundred percent focus their attention on whatever is happening, and not on us.” Eleanor explained in a whisper. How very obedient of her. Too bad I wouldn’t settle for that.

“I’m leaving.” I decided.

“Qu’est-ce qui passe?(What happened?)” Madeleine asked me, tangible fear evident in her voice. I looked over at her sympathetically and prepared to lie, right to her face.

“Rien.”

Nothing.

“You’re not leaving.” Niall sighed. I raised my eyebrows at him and reached for the door handle.

“Watch me.” I twisted the lock and opened the door. Within seconds I was grabbed, yanked back, and the door was slammed shut. I heard the lock click and suddenly Niall grabbed my wrists. His eyes glanced down at me, a solemn and serious expression on his face.

“I have permission to bind you.” He told me.

“What?” I snapped as I struggled to pull my hands from his grip. Of course, I couldn’t, but I thought I’d at least fight like hell and give him a hard time.

“Your husband gave me permission to tie you up if it meant keeping you here. He predicted you’d act like this.” I wasn’t surprised that Zayn had to give Niall special orders for me. I knew Harry and Louis didn’t need to worry about their obedient girls. Claire was too scared to act out, and Eleanor knew her place.

But that was never my forte.

And frankly, I didn’t give a fuck about what the others thought of my behavior.

“Then I guess you’re going to have to tie me up.”

“Hannah, be reasonable. You’re not going anywhere either way, so you may as well be comfortable.” Eleanor tried to reason with me. She was always trying to calm me down. From the get-go, she was at my side and trying to help me as best as she knew how. But she and I didn’t see eye to eye on how women are supposed to act… even in a gang relationship.

“I have a right to know what’s going on with my husband and whether or not he’s safe.” I responded coolly.

Claire watched our interaction closely, and I could see Niall rolling his eyes. Madeleine, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening and couldn’t piece it together with her limited English skills.

Niall let go of my wrists and gently pushed me towards Eleanor. I was caught in slender arms and sat between my two best friends. They patted me and told me the boys would be fine… they were always fine… but it didn’t settle me. Not even close.

Niall kept his eyes on Madeleine, for the most part. He seemed worried about her, like he actually cared. He shuffled a little closer to her, and bit his lip harshly. I could tell he was thinking hard about something, and by the way she was watching him, she could tell, too.

“You’re ok?” He spoke. Her eyes widened and her brain tried to process the words. The link was missing.

“Je suis…. I- I sorry. Ne comprends.(I follow .... I-I sorry. do not understand.)” She muttered in frustration. I wanted to step in and help translate the pathetic conversation, but if Niall wanted my help, then he’d have to give me his help. I wasn’t around to be at the boys’ beckon call.

They could go fuck themselves.

“Hannah… Can you ask her how she’s doing?” Niall laced his fingers together, and then separated them, and then laced them together again. He was clearly nervous about interacting with the frail and broken victim under my care.

“No.” I responded simply. I could feel Eleanor’s disapproving eyes on me, but before she could start her motherly lecture, Niall spoke.

“Oh come on, stop being such a bitch.” He groaned.

“Stop being such a dick, then.” I retorted quickly. I wasn’t going to let myself be pushed around. “You want my help and I want yours. So what’re we gonna do about this?” I leaned back a little against the wall.

“How the fuck does he stand being married to you?” Niall cursed at me.

“I guess I’m a good fuck.” I smirked. Eleanor muttered something about me needing Jesus or whatever under her breath next to me. Niall, on the other hand, scrunched up his nose in disgust. I guess he wasn’t expecting that. What? It’s not like I’ve never been blunt about things before.

“Hannah, I’m not allowed to tell you, ok? I seriously would if I could, but he’d kill me.”

“If you don’t tell me, then Zayn will seem like nothing compared to what I’ll do to you.” I threatened. For some reason, Niall didn’t seem to intimidated by my threat.

“Please Hannah, you’re hardly- you know what, never mind. I’m not doing this with you.” He snarled. Madeleine, hearing his tone of voice, was quick to grab the blanket and hiding beneath it. I felt a pang of guilt in my heart at her fear, so I let out a sigh, sent one last glare to Niall, and approached her side slowly.

“Tu es en sécurité. (You're safe.)” I assured her. “Je suis ici et je vais te protéger. (I'm here and I'll protect you.)” I wanted to reach out to her and wipe her tears away and hug her, but I knew that’d only spook her. She looked so afraid.

“Thank you.” Niall looked at me earnestly. I nodded, but I wasn’t doing it for him. I knew how afraid she was. I knew how broken and alone and ashamed she felt. I had been through it all, too. But I had Zayn to rely on, and Eleanor and the boys. Madeleine… she had no one.

“Please Niall, just tell me something. Anything.” I begged him.

“Look, Hannah-“

“When I got married to Zayn, I became an honorary member of the gang. Doesn’t that give me any leeway? Any privileges?” I was grasping at straws. I just needed to know that Zayn would be ok. That he’d come back to me in one piece. Niall ruffled his blond hair with his hand and looked away from me.

“That’s more of a protection thing, than real member status. Sorry, love.” And the thing is, he actually sounded truly sorry about it. I had his sympathy and his pity. I honestly believed that he would have told me if he could have. But there was one thing stopping him.

Zayn.

Zayn and his stupid rules.

That little fucker.

“Fuck everyone.” I snapped angrily. I made another b-line for the door, but Niall was grabbing me before I could even reach the handle. I fought a little, but I didn’t want things to get too out of control, not in front of Madeleine. I let him pull me back over to the bed and I let him sit me down on the floor. His hands fumbled with the edge of the bed until he ripped off a piece of the pale bed sheet. I watched in confusion as he approached me.

It took me just a second too long to realize what he was doing.

“Niall, I swear to god-“ I tried to back away from him, but my wrists were collected and tied to the bed post. Claire watched on sadly, and Madeleine covered her eyes.

“Il est OK. (It is ok.)” I spoke to her. “Il n’est pas mal. Il est juste essayer de me protéger.(It is not bad. He is just trying to protect me.)” I spoke to her as calmly and carefully as I could. She needed to know that what Niall was doing to me was not like what had happened to her… or what had Jay had done to me. It wasn’t me being held against my will, it wasn’t abuse, it was just the boys being asses and keeping me in the dark.

“Mais il… il… il-il te blesser. Il a crié à toi. Il est en colère. (But he ... he ... he he hurt you. He shouted at you. He is angry.)” She shook her head quickly.

“Il m’aime. Il est comme un frère… un ami. (He loves me. He's like a brother ... a friend.)” I countered. I knew she wouldn’t understand it right away. The boys’ relationship with us- us girls- was complicated and frankly, twisted, but it wasn’t at all what it looked like. We weren’t there against our will.

“What are you saying?” Niall asked me grumpily. He didn’t look happy to have to take it to the level that it got to, but frankly that was both of our faults.

“I’m just assuring her that you’re not abusing me. That I’m safe. That she’s safe. She doesn’t exactly trust men… and you guys aren’t exactly innocent-looking either.” I responded. I tried to sound like we were having a friendly conversation. Madeleine couldn’t understand my words, so she could only go off of our tones. If I made it sound ok, she wouldn’t feel unsafe.

“Oh shit…” He grumbled, realizing his mistake.




Niall had to leave us to get us some food after we were in there for five hours. I tried to get Claire or Eleanor to untie me, but they told me I had brought it upon myself.

Damn them for being so fucking obedient.




It wasn’t until ten in the morning the next day that we heard voices downstairs. Rapid footsteps stormed up the stairs. I sat up straighter in my uncomfortable position on the floor. I had spent the night tied to the bed, but none of us really slept. Niall was on duty, and the girls and I were too nervous. I think Madeleine got a couple hours here or there, though.

“Is it them?” I asked in a raspy morning voice. I cleared my voice to try and return back to my more feminine voice. Niall stood and reached for something tucked into the waistband of his jeans. I watched as he approached the door and carefully unlock it. Claire looked like she was about to break in fear, but Eleanor, who was used to these situations, looked at ease.

The door was carefully clicked open and Niall stuck his head into the hall. Once a sigh of relief escaped his lips, I felt my heartbeat slow down. It was them. They were ok.

Harry came in first. He looked completely untouched and other than the fact he was tired and disheveled, he looked how he did when the boys left the day before. Claire ran straight into his arms and he held her close to his chest, whispering something in her ear as she cried.

“I was… s-s-so scared.” She sobbed into him. Liam stepped around them, shooting them a quick disgusted glare. Aye, Liam. We were on the same page. How lovey-dovey and gross of them.

“Louis!” Eleanor squealed as she saw her fiancé step in. He picked her up and spun her around before kissing her gently.

“Where’s Zayn?” I questioned Liam as he started to lead Niall out of the room. Brown eyes shot down to me and he shook his head.

“Why the hell are you tied up?”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” I spat.

“You know what- I think I know exactly why you’re tied up.” He shook his head again, but that time chuckling. Niall came over to me and leaned down to untie me, but Liam put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Zayn should see this first. He’ll get a kick out of it.”

“So he’s ok?” I asked quickly. They all seemed so relaxed. That meant everything was ok, right? Liam and Niall started to leave the room, one filling in the other what had happened the night before. “You’re both assholes!” Neither turned around at my shouts. In fact, the only person who seemed to be paying attention to me was Madeleine.

“Tu es Ok? (Are you ok?)” She asked me softly.

“Oui, les garçons sont juste…(Yes, boys are just ...)” I didn’t know how to say asshole or jerk in French so I trailed off, hoping she’d get the point. She looked at me in confusion. “umm… ils sont merdes.(umm ... they are shit.)” I knew that calling them shits wasn’t exactly a perfect translation, but it was the only curse word I knew in French, so it’d have to make do. She seemed to get the point, because she offered me a small smile.

“Where’s Zayn?” I heard Eleanor ask Louis after they were finished doing gross displays of affection. I wasn’t saying that Zayn and I weren’t affectionate, but the other two couples were so damn cutesy about it. My head shot up at the mention of my husband. Maybe Louis would tell Eleanor.

“Oh, he’s right behind us. He should be coming.” Louis shrugged casually. It made all of the pressure on my shoulders release. He sounded so at ease about it. That had to mean Zayn was ok.

Everyone began filing out of the room. Claire asked Harry if she could untie me, but he gave the same exact answer Liam had before. They wanted Zayn to see me like that. I stuck my tongue out because I couldn’t give him the finger. Claire looked at me apologetically, but I didn’t actually mind being tied up.

I minded not knowing where my husband was.

But only a few minutes later, he came in.

“Took you fucking long enough.” I said as soon as he stepped in. Caramel eyes darted down to look at me. He had something- blankets’ draped over his shoulder, but he walked carefully, holding it to him tightly.

And then I saw the feet.

Black, dirty, bloody, disgusting feet.

He found another girl.

Carefully, the girl he had over his shoulder, was brought onto the bed. Madeleine watched in horror as Zayn tried to put her in a comfortable position. I couldn’t see much of her, because Zayn had wrapped her in a blanket, but telling by the blood that had seeped through the fabric, she was in worse condition than Madeleine.

Zayn quickly came around to me and ripped the fabric that served as my handcuffs.

“What did you do?” He asked me gently.

“I wanted to know where you were. Thanks for that, by the way. Fucking leave me here with no information or reassurance that you’ll be alright.” I hissed angrily. He kissed my forehead before pulling me up carefully.

“I’ll always be ok.”

“Until you’re not. Until you don’t come home one night. Until I have to-“

“Darlin’. I’m ok. I’m here. With you. I’m ok.” He pulled me into him in a hug, as if to reassure me, but it didn’t help much. Every time he stepped out of the house, there was a risk that he wouldn’t come back. We both knew it. There was no point in skirting around.

“What happened?” I carefully stepped towards the girl. Madeleine was already leaning her knees on the mattress, pushing hair away from her face.

“There was a shooting yesterday afternoon. We had no idea who it was or why, so we took precautions in protecting you girls. We took care of business, but found this one left to die on the street.” He gestured to the girl. “She was unconscious when I found her.”

“We need to get El up here, now.” Zayn nodded and called for her out in the hall. The girl in question was rushing in less than ten seconds later. She looked startled to see another sex slave victim, as if Louis hadn’t told her, but she recollected herself and set to work on examining her.

“Qu’est-ce qui passe? (What happened?)” A gentle hand pulled at my shoulder. I shuffled back to sit next to Madeleine and carefully intertwined my fingers with her.

“Elle est une autre… comme toi... (It is another ... like you ...)” Her eyes widened, and filled with tears slightly. I felt her squeeze my hand and I squeezed hers back. Zayn stood back and watched me carefully. He looked guarded, but he also looked raw.

I knew what he was thinking.

I could have so easily been like the girl lying across the guest bed in front of me. We were practically interchangeable. I could’ve been out walking one night, before I met Zayn, and bumped into the wrong people. I could’ve been so easily snatched up and sold into slavery.

I got lucky when I just ran into Zayn in the streets that one day two years ago. Sure things had been rough, but I had never come out looking like Madeleine or the other girl did.

“I’m going to have to stitch some of these injuries up, but I think she needs to be sponge bathed first. Hannah, help me.” Eleanor wandered into the bathroom to get her supplies. I looked towards Zayn and motioned for him to leave the room.

“I’ll be right outside, Darlin’. If she so much as stirs in her sleep, you shout for me. Do you understand?”

“She’s a victim, she won’t-“

“Do you understand me? I’m not playing this game with you.” My wrists were seized in his large hands and I was brought into his chest. He smelled of cigarettes and that musky masculine smell that makes you want to go closer.

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes, knowing that just giving in was a helluva a lot easier than arguing, and we’d only get the same outcome. I was released and he left the room, to give the unconscious girl some privacy.

“Je veux vous aider. (I want to help.)” Madeleine whispered to Eleanor. She turned to me for the translation.

“She wants to help us. She wants to help the girl.” Eleanor nodded. And began to pull the fabric covering up the girl away.

“Moral support.”

“Tu peux tenir la main. (You can hold hands.)” Madeleine nodded at my instructions and grabbed the girl’s hand and held tightly. I helped Eleanor wash away all of the blood and dirt and filth from her body. She seemed pale, even despite her more olive skin tone. And we rinsed her hair of all the oil and grime from her dark hair.

When we were done, I helped Eleanor numb the girl’s body so we could stitch her up. Eleanor constantly had to check her vitals, because the sense of unconsciousness was so deep, that I was afraid she wouldn’t ever wake up. In the same exact place on her body as Madeleine, the girl had initials carved into her skin.



BDC



Eleanor’s hands shook a little as she ran her fingers over the wound. It wasn’t as fresh as Madeleine’s was- it was already scarred. The scabs had already healed. It would forever be in her skin.

“She’s ok now.” I put my hand over Eleanor’s, and then we continued on. I wasn’t any good at the medical stuff. I couldn’t ever remember how to take vitals. I wasn’t steady enough to do stitching. I didn’t have the patience to help with ice packs or heat rags or anything else.

So Claire became Eleanor’s protégé instead. She was learning how to do nursing, so she was at Eleanor’s side, while I- being the only French speaker- talked to Madeleine.

“Qui est le garçon blond? (Who is the blond boy?)" Madeleine whispered. I leaned my head against the wall behind us and sighed as Claire and Eleanor struggled to slip clothes onto the girl.

“Qui? Niall? Avec les yeux bleus? (Who? Niall? With blue eyes?)” Why was she asking about Niall?

“Oui. Il est gentil. (Yes I do. He's nice.)”

“Oui. (Yes.)” I agreed.

I brought Madeleine downstairs with me into the kitchen, where some of the boys were sitting. Zayn joined him, seeing as he followed me down. She was hungry and I was determined to put some meat on her bones. I couldn’t cook anything, but there was pre-prepared food in the fridge Claire and Eleanor had made me. Madeleine didn’t like being around the boys, but who could blame her? She mostly hid behind me, and I promised I’d protect her.

“Do the initials ‘BDC’ mean anything to you guys?” I questioned them as I popped the food in the microwave. Madeleine didn’t want to sit down with them, so she stayed with me.

“BDC? Why?” Harry furrowed his brows in confusion.

“Je peux leur montrer? (I can show them?)” Madeleine looked at me nervously, but then turned to face the boys. She let me slowly pull her shirt up, just enough to show the scabbing initials on her abdomen. It wasn’t a scar yet, still a wound.

“Oh shit.” Harry groaned. Niall looked at Madeleine sadly, as if seeing what had happened to her physically hurt him. I understood his feelings though. I felt sick at the thought of it.

“Black Devil Cartel.” Zayn hissed.

“Now we know who’s doing this.” Harry said optimistically. I looked at him in disgust. How could he think optimistically like that? How could he even have any hope when we had two girls who were completely broken and abused in our care? How was there any silver lining?

“Don’t worry Madeleine.” Niall approached her slowly, with his hands held up so she could see he wasn’t going to do anything. “We’ll end this all.” She nodded, understanding what he was saying just by the conviction in his tone. “We’ll take care of it. We’ll take care of you.” A hand was outstretched, and she took it in hers lightly. He didn’t make any other move to touch her, but handholding was a start.

“I’ll fucking destroy them.”

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